USC Makes Strong Showing in Pershing Square Renew Competition

School News

USC Makes Strong Showing in Pershing Square Renew Competition

January 04, 2016

The competition to redesign Pershing Square, LA’s most maligned but also most promising park, Pershing Square Renew, started with 54 teams. In October, that was narrowed to ten semi-finalists. Six of the ten included USC School of Architecture faculty, representing the school’s on-going legacy and impact on the shape of the city.

Professor Kelly Shannon, director of landscape architecture as part of the Agence Ter team. Esther Margulies, lecturer, was a member of the W Architecture team, which included John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects. Alice Kimm is an adjunct associate professor and former director of undergraduate architecture (2010-2014). Adjunct Professor Mia Lehrer was part of a team made up of her firm, Mia Lehrer Associates and !Melk. Adjunct Professor Robert Perry was on the James Corner Field Operations team, which included Frederick Fisher & Partners. Mark Rios of short-listed Rios Clementi Hale was former director of landscape architecture (2001-2007). Adjunct professor Gerdo Aquino’s SWA team, partnered with Morphosis, also made the cut. Aquino is SWA’s CEO.

On December 21, it was announced that Shannon’s Agence Ter team and Aquino’s SWA-Morphosis team have made the “final four.” They will be up against each other as well as James Corner Field Operations with Frederick Fisher & Partners and wHY with Civitas.